The Time Imbetween
by Elephas The Eternal
Summary: This takes place just after the events of the final episode of Haganai: Next. Kodaka has entered the Neighbours club room and come face to face with Sena, just about to tell her something a message interrupts his sentence, what will follow next?
1. Chapter 1

Kodaka remained in a state of confusion and nerves as he stood in the neighbours club room face to face with Sena, her blonde hair caught in the setting amber rays of the sun, crystal blue eyes staring into his own, their phones both drawn, identical to each other, the same message appearing on each of their screens, the message that had interrupted his confession. The message from Yozora filled his head as he tried to think on what had driven her to send this to them, was his absence in the club really that hard on her? Confused and slightly worried he began to message her back.

 _What happened, where are you going?_ He quickly wrote out the message but before he could press send Sena covered the screen with her hand, pushing down firmly to lower his hand. The contact made his heart skip, eyes wide as he felt the hot flush spread across his face like wildfire.

"Just stop, you know her, she's in a mood and clearly isn't going to answer anyone." Sena's words hung in the air, calm and collected, knowledgeable, Kodaka finding himself utterly surprised by this as he didn't think feelings where in Sena's vocabulary for others. Yukimura stood slightly flustered too as Maria bounded with a happy, carefree laugh toward Kodaka, big blue eyes full of excitement as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Onii-chan! You're here let's go play! Did you bring the poopy vampire today?" the small girl looked either side of her elders form before looking up to realise his eyes where firmly fixed upon Sena's form, Sena's own eyes glued to his, looking down the little girl saw the hand contact the small girl even realising that this was probably a delicate moment to be interrupting, so she remained clinging to Kodaka's hip, eyes on the scene as she waited for what was going to happen.

"Kodaka...what were you going to say?" the blondes words crept cautiously over the atmosphere as Kodaka continued to focus on the contact, face beaming bright red.

"Oh...uh yea...it doesn't matter, you know maybe I should-"

"No..." Sena's voice was firm, if anything a little shaky as she took a moment to reaffirm her voice and adjust it.

"I...I've told you my own feelings and now...now I need to know, how you feel?" beads of sweat begin to form on his temple as Kodaka clenches his eyes shut. He didn't want to leave her in the limbo anymore then he already had, imagining the embarrassment he had put her through and Rika's words.

 _I have to do it, I can't be cruel to her even if I don't think saying it will make it any less cruel_ Kodaka stiffened his pose, gritting his teeth the hand contact was a sensory overload as he prepared himself to say possibly the hardest thing he could ever say.

"I...I...I love you..." He stuttered, opening his eyes as a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his head, face resembling that of a tomato, he was gripping his phone so tightly he feared it would be crushed, avoiding eye contact with the room he focuses on his hand, hers clasped firmly over it, Maria's grin grew bigger as Yukimura seems stunned, Sena stood there silent for a moment as Maria let go of him and began running round the room, arms in the air cheering with glee.

"I love you Sena, the person you are, the way you try and get along, how you try to get close with my sister, your bickering with Yozora, your gullibility-"

"Hey" Sena cries out in amidst the praise, the word brought to her attewntion but Kodaka can't be stopped.

"-Your attitude toward a problem, the way you glow with an optimistic light every moment, the way you tried to fit everyone's likes into the movie, showing that you care for everyone still, even though you don't like Yozora you make some effort to get along, your hair, your eyes, your skin, your body. I love you and everything about you Sena, that's the truth!" he speaks through his embarrassment, Sena stood there, stunned, silent as she process the information, a smile beginning to form on her lips as she opens her mouth to speak, but as she does Kodaka falls to his knees, head drooping.

"But I can't date you Sena...I can't date you because...because I don't want to lose this club!" He speaks almost ashamed of himself, his heart racing, steady breaths as he took a moment to breathe. Sena stood there, her expression confused, saddened a little. Maria was now silent as Yukimura looks on in disbelief.

"How...how would dating me ruin the club?" She looks in disbelief as she recedes her grasp on him, but her hand is caught as he drops his phone, allowing it to bounce against the ground, looking into her bewildered eyes.

"I can't date you right now, because this club and everyone in it is important to me, and if we were going out, everyone would feel awkward around us...But I still love you, and want to be with you Sena, please, I need to be with you, just...can you wait for me, will you wait for me, will you wait till we graduate?" he pleads, his voice almost cracking under the words as he releases her, allowing his head to droop. She was confused, not knowing whether to be happy, sad or angry, yet she felt that a mix of the three was more suffice.

"Why should I wait for you, someone who can't stand to allow me to tell them how I feel yet will shy away from me when I do, why should I wait when there are a million more of you out there?" She says bitterly. Kodaka seems to drop his head further.

"You have a better reason not to, there are plenty more guys out there, I'm sure one of them will treat you well." He speaks hopelessly as he gives in to defeat, yet the blonde seems to have a smirk as she speaks next.

"But I guess I've waited this long, and it would be a trouble to dispose of the betrothal papers anyway, maybe just this once-" she spoke as she crouched to look him in the eyes before speaking.

"I'll wait for someone to catch up to me." She said with a smile, Kodaka felt limp,

 _She says she'll wait for me?_ He seemed to sit there stunned for a moment as she stood upright.

"Besides if waiting for you means Kobata is going to be my sister for real? Then I can wait until we finish school." She grins as she begins to strut toward the door, feeling oh so full of herself.

"Thank you Sena...I know I'm asking alot of you but...thank you so much." He says as he lets his body relax from the tense situation, his whole body felt like jelly as she opened the door to leave.

"Oh and Kodaka, you're someone worth waiting for...There is only one you, and I love him." She speaks softly, enough for him to hear before leaving the room. Maria walks back over the tug at the boy's sleave.

"Onii-chan, are you okay?" She spoke as she looked inquisitively into his eyes. Kodaka stared back as a smile spread across his lips.

"Maria, I've never felt better." He grins as he felt as if a lead weight had been pushed from his chest, the small girl takes the opportunity to wrap her arms around Kodakas' neck and laugh with glee.

"Yaaay for Onii-chan!" she chanted as she hugged him, Yukimura seemed to have drooped her gaze to the floor as she turned to go make another pot of tea. Kodaka picks up his dropped phone as he pets Maria's head whilst texting Rika. He was happy and thanks to her, was able to admit his feelings.

 _Thank you Rika_ he thought as he sighed with relief, everything was back to normal.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where could she even have gone?" he looked at Rika as she worriedly looked behind hedges in the courtyard, she sighed.

"I don't know, we all got the message and now she's gone, I hope she hasn't done anything stupid." Rika sighed as she placed her palm to her forehead.

"Why would she do this?" Kodaka puzzled as Rika shot him a glare.

"Don't act like you're stupid, you know exactly why!" Rika exclaimed as she pointed a finger at his chest.

"This all came about because you couldn't handle other's feelings in a proper way, and now the situations gotten bad!" Rika's words hit Kodaka like a brick wall, he knew she was right though he had finally begun to accept feelings he hadn't truly been mature about the club situation. What mattered right now was finding Yozora and making sure she was fine, and explaining everything to her.

"Do you know any places she might go? Anywhere that she might visit or might have sentimental value to either her or the two of you?" Rika pressed as she pulled out her phone and began to pull up a digital map of their surroundings.

"How am I supposed to-" he was cut off as Rika glared up from her phone screen. "-never mind, I am the closest person to her in the club I guess." He sighed as he racked his brain for ideas. There wasn't much he could think of, most of the places that they were connected to he'd been to with everyone in the club, the only place that was unique to them was- "The playground." It hit him suddenly like a lightning strike.

"The what?" Rika asked.

"The playground where we used to hangout when we were kids, it was the only place unique to us! It was our place! It's the only place she might be!" he exclaimed, Kodaka quickly turned on heel and began to run down the courtyard path toward the school's entrance, Rika sighing as she quickly slid her phone into her pocket and began to run after.

"I hope we're right, otherwise we probably might not see her again, who knows what's in her head right now!" Rika exclaimed running after him, Kodaka had his phone out and was ringing Sena as they ran.

"Sena, I think I know where Yozora is, and we need to hurry, I'm pretty sure she's leaving town soon!"

"What do you mean!? Where is that drama queen?" Sena said in a mildly irritated voice, though worry was clearly in her words.

"The old playground she and I first met in." Kodaka explained.

"That doesn't do much for me, how am I supposed to know where that is?"

"It's fine, Rika will text you the location, hurry there, we need to catch her before it's too late!" he exclaimed as there was a grumble on the other end.

"Fine, I'll make my way over as soon as I get the adress, I just hope we can make it in time if she's there." She sighed.

"Yea me too, I'll see you soon!" he exclaimed as he was about to hang up.

"Kodaka, I know out of everyone, this is something you can do, so make sure she comes back to the club, I know you can do it." Sena said softly before the line hung up, Kodaka smiled to himself as he rounded the corner past the school entrance.

"I know, I'll make sure our club stays the way it is." He assured himself as he made it past some students who cowered away at his approach, huh, for the first time he was sort of thankful for his delinquent looks, he might make it yet!

"I'm coming Yozora, Stay where you are!" he called out to no one as he ran.

Yozora sat on the swing, tears in her eyes and sadness welling up within her, the soft clinks of the chains where all that could be heard as she watched the sunset.

"Why does it have to be her." She sighed miserably as she sat there, the evening breeze cutting through her like a dagger, her hair stood up on ends in the cold. "He didn't even remember me at first, why do I even care, why is it her….why does he not see me…" she said to herself as she stared at the old park that she had first met Kodaka in, if only she'd had the courage to see him that day, maybe thing's would've been different, maybe he would've remembered her, maybe she wouldn't have had to start the club and Sena would never have paid any attention to him….but she knew he wasn't even his first friend, Sena had even taken that from her. "Why her…"

"Yozora!" the call perked her ears and she looked up, head tilting around as she scanned for familiar faces. "Yozora!" it called again, closer, it was a man's voice…wait.

"Yozora!" the sound of someone running became louder and louder, and as she turned to face it she saw Kodaka standing there.

"Kodaka?"…


End file.
